Method of making reels



April 3, 1951 M. GAZET 2,547,574

METHOD OF MAKING REELS Filed Jan. 13, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.fla fwug gaze? IYGENTS INVENTOR. Ma la us Gazei Patented Apr. 3, 1951METHOD OF MAKING REELS Marius Gazet, Lyon, France, assignor toEtablissemerits G. Decombe, Lyon, France, a corporation of FranceApplication January 13, 1948, Serial No. 2,053 In France July 18, 1947 3Claims. 1

In the French Patent No. 794,883 of December 4, 1934, for "Drum forwires, ropes, cables and others and its method of manufacture adescriptien was given of a drum of which each individual cheek isobtained by the corrugation of a straight rectangular strip of metalsheet.

Its method of manufacture consists of an uneven corrugation of the metalsheets from one end to the other. The working of this method, however,requires an expensive outlay in equipment and calls for a high degree ofaccuracy in its performance.

Now, to carry into effect the method of fabrication'of checks for drums,wheels and others, that forms the object of the present invention, astart off is made with a plate of metal sheet that is comparativelystiff, and this is then corrugated so that itmay be twisted intoshape toget the particular part Wanted.

In this method, the first step is to cut out a strip of straight sheet,then to make regularly spaced parallel cross-folds that go from one edgeto the other, to fasten to a piece of iron, preferably flat, one of itslong edges, to curve around a mandrel the edging, provided with theiron, of the corrugated strip so as to thus open out the folds in acontinuous way from the centre towards the periphery, to fix rigidlywith one another the two opposite cross edges of the corrugated strip soas to thus open out the folds in a continuous way from the centretowards the periphery, to fix rigidly with one another the two oppositecross edges of the corrugated strip that have been brought together bythe bending operation, finally to cap the peripheral longitudinal edgewith an iron piece, of U-shape for instance, acting as a runway. V

The accompanying diagrammatic drawings show by way of an example amethod for carrying out the invention in the case of a drum.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a metal sheet before corrugating.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing it after the corrugation has beeneffected.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views show ing the fiat iron fastenedagainst one of the long edges of the metal-sheet strip corrugatedrespectively with the inner surface and outer surface uppermost.

Figure 5 demonstrates a way of working the curving of the corrugatedstrip of metal sheet of which the long edges are provided with astrengthening iron bar for fixing the folds.

Figures 6 and '7 show a cable drum respectively 2, in front elevationand in cross-section through line '!--'I of Figure 6.

As shown in the drawings, a strip of straight sheet '2 (Figure 1) isfirst of all cut out, its length being a function of the diameter of thecheck of the drum to be obtained and its height that of the cheeks.

This strip is then corrugated evenly with parallel folds 3 (Figure 2),that are spaced at equal distances apart, and are all just the same andof the same depth throughout their whole length. This strip thuscorrugated and kept straight, is brazed to a piece of rectangular fiatiron 4 (Figures 3 and 4) that, in the case of a drum, projects beyondthe inner surface to act as support for the drum.

Then the piece thus obtained is curved on a mandrel 5 while the flatiron serves as a bearing 4 (Figure 5). During this operation, the folds3 open out in the manner of a fan to a sufficient extent to form acircle through their outer ends. The parts to be connected are thenbrazed or welded.

At the same time as the folds or ribs open out, their projection getsless and less from the centre 6 towards the outer edge 1 and assumes aflatter shape.

The periphery l of the ring of corrugated sheet thus obtained is thencapped with a U-shaped iron 8 of which the back acts as the runway forthe drum assembly when it rotates. But, depending on the use to whichthe drum is to be put, it will be practicable to fasten on thisperiphery an iron of any other contour or, if it is U-shaped, itsflanges may be headed outwards.

This ring is then provided with arms 9 carrying a boss or hub H.

To assemble a drum of which the cheeks or flanges have been obtained andfitted up in this way, all that has to be done is to insert between thema drum body l2, of which the ends l3 rest on the inner edge 14 of thecurved fiat iron 4 of each cheek.

The assembly of the drum [2 and its two cheeks can be done by brazing,by bolts and nuts distributed round the circumference of the flat iron,by a central bolt or any other means.

Obviously, the invention is not restricted only to the making of cheeksfor drums but it also takes in its scope that of any circular member orof a member of other shape that assumes the shape of a collar or ringand has to stand up to diametrical thrusts, such as wheels, pulleys,bends and the like, for instance.

At the same time, without any modification in the principle of theinvention and with a view to certain adaptations, more particularly forthe manufacture of wheels, pulleys and structural curves or arches, forinstance, it may be assumed that:

1. The folds are not made always on the same side of the metal sheet,but may alternate from one surface to the other.

2. The curving of the corrugated strip may be effected by startingeither from one side, or from the middle and towards the two sides atone and the same time.

3. This curving of the strip may be carried out on a mandrel of anydesired contour.

What I claim is:

1. A method for producing cheeks for reels, chiefly reels carrying woundcables and the like consisting in cutting a sheet of flat substantiallyrigid material to form a straight member, folding said member at regularintervals to obtain on one side of its plane a plurality of narrowparallel transversal folds of constant breadth extending throughout thebreadth of said member and separated by comparatively wide flatelements, securing transversely of the folds a flat member along alongitudinal edge of the folded member to extend throughout at least theheight of the folds in the first member, bending the edge of the foldedmember rigid with said transverse fiat member round a mandrel to openfanwis the folds in a continuous manner from the edge considered towardsthe opposite edge, rigidly connecting the two terminal edges of theassociated flat and folded member with one another and capping theperipheral outer edge of the incurved flat member with a shaped raceway.

2. A method for producing cheeks for reels, chiefly reels carrying woundcables and the like consisting in cutting a sheet of flat substantiallyrigid material to form a straight member, folding said member at regularintervals to one side to obtain, on one side of its plane, a pluralityof narrow parallel transverse folds of constant breadth extendingthroughout the breadth of said member and separated by comparativelywide flat elements, all said folds being similar to one another,securing transversely of the folds a flat member along a longitudinaledge of the folded member to extend beyond the height of the folds inthe first member, bending the edge of the folded member rigid with saidtransverse fiat member round a mandrel to open fanwise the folds in acontinuous manner from the edge considered towards the opposite edge,rigidly connecting the two terminal sides of the first mentioned foldedmember and of the associated member thereof with one another and cappingthe peripheral outer edge of the incurved flat member with a shapedraceway.

3. A method for producing cheeks for reels,

chiefly reels carrying wound cables and the like consisting in cutting asheet of fiat substantially rigid material to form a straight member,folding said member at regular intervals to one side to obtain on oneside of its plane a plurality of narrow parallel transverse folds ofconstant breadth extending throughout the breadth of said member andseparated by comparatively wide flat elements, welding transversely ofthe folds a flat member along a longitudinal edge of the folded memberto extend throughout at least the height of the folds in the firstmember, bending the edge of th folded member rigid with said transverseflat member round a mandrel to open fanwise the folds in a continuousmanner from the edge considered towards the opposite edge, rigidlyconnecting the two terminal sides of the first mentioned folded memberand associated member thereof with one another and capping theperipheral outer edge of the incurved flat member with a shaped raceway.

MARIUS GAZET.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,822 Livingston Nov. 3,1914 1,213,564 Williams Jan. 23, 1917 1,599,801 Vreeland Sept. 14, 19262,152,522 McCann Mar. 28, 1939 2,152,523 McGuire Mar. 28, 1939 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 733 Great Britain Aug. 9, 1883 149.377 GreatBritain Aug. 11. 1920

